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PARIS, France — After four years, Hermès artistic director of womenswear Christophe Lemaire is leaving the French luxury label. Lemaire will present his final womenswear collection for Hermès over the upcoming Spring-Summer 2015 season in October during Paris Fashion Week. His replacement has not yet been named.
The designer is leaving to focus on his own label full time. "Working for Hermès has been a great pleasure: a profoundly enriching experience on both a human and professional level. I am proud of what we have built together. My own label is growing in an important way and I now really want and need to dedicate myself to it fully," he said in a statement.
Axel Dumas, chief executive officer of Hermès, said, "I am very grateful to Christophe for the passion with which he has addressed and enriched the expression of our house in women's ready-to-wear. Under his artistic direction the métier has renewed its aesthetic and produced very satisfactory financial results."
Since June 2010, Lemaire has overseen direction of womenswear and helped the heritage saddlery and leather goods brand define its women's ready-to-wear with an elegant, pared-back aesthetic. Before Hermès, Lemaire was creative director of French sportswear brand Lacoste.
